Bustle



(No Model.)

A. H. BRINKMANN.

BUSTLE.

No. 344,159. Patented June 22, 1886.

N. PETERS. Photohmugnpher. Waihington. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFTQE.

AUGUSTUS H. BRINKMANN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BUSTLE.

EPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 344,159, Jane 22,1836.

Application filed February 3, 1856. Serial No. 190,709.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUs'rUs H. BRINK- MANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city, in the State of Maryland, haveinvcnted new and useful Improvements in Bustles, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my improvement is to provide a light and flexible skirt-distender for ladies wear, in which the contour will be main tained by spiral springcoils supported against the person of the wearer in step-like form, so as to yield to outward pressure, and to resume the normal contour when the pressure is removed. I form the contour of a series of small spring-c0ils ofspirally-wound tape-wire, (each coil having the same diameter throughout its length,) each coil. being connected by a bow, which are broughttogether at their ends, and connected and supported between their ends from the waistband by braces of unequal length, whereby to form a contour of separate small coils, each having vertical braces supporting it under the weight of thedress, and forming together a rolling surface, giving a graceful fit to the skirt.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents in perspective my improved bustle; Fig. 2, a vertical cross-section of the same. Fig. 3 shows one of the coil-supporting frames. Fig. 4 shows the manner of connecting the coils at their ends, and Fig. 5 shows the connection of the spring-coil with the brace.

The spring-coils A are formed of tape-wire spirally wound, and secured by metal clasps to a wire strip or bow, a, which extends beyond the ends of the coils. The coils are comparatively small, are preferably of the same diameter throughout their length, and are of different lengths,so that when connected they willhave an overlying relation. The bows or strips of the top and bottom coils meet and are connected at their ends I), as shown in Fig. 4., while the bows or strips of the intermediate coils are connected to a cross tapewire, 0, which is secured to the top and bottom bows near their ends. The ends of the bows thus connected are incloscd in fabric pockets d, fastened to the bows by eyelets c, and the pockets are sewed to the waistband f, and

(No model.)

thus the rolling contour of spiral spring-coils is formed and connected. Byhaving the coils of small and equal diameter throughout their length the contour will be more even and symmetrical; but they may be made tapering toward their ends. Each coil thus connected at its ends is supported between its ends independently of each other by two or more standards formed of a series of wire braces, g, the upper ends of which are fastened to the bows,which cross them, and their lower ends are fastened to a basestrip, h, which is fast ened to the waistband and suspended from it. The suspended base-strips h rest against the person of the wearer, and the braces 9, being unyielding in the direction of their length, are free to yield with the overlying coils to any outward pressure and return elastic ally, when such pressure is reniovcd, to their normal position. As each coil forms aspring, it will constantly tend to spring to its normal position when released from compression, and thus the contour of the bustle is maintained by the coils and by the braces. By this construction the springeoils are braced and con nected at their ends to the waistband, and are connected independently to intermediate bracing-frames suspended from the waistband, so that the contour-forming coils have an overlying relation upon braccs which support them in horizontal relation to each other and to the waistband.

Myimprovementrenders the bustle durable, elastic, and uncrushable, the spring-coils increasing the strength,flexibility, and elasticity of the supportingframes, and thereby maintainingthecontour. Thestandardframe-braces and their connecting-bows are re-enforced by the spring-coils, so that the latter form a part of said supportirig-standards or frame-braces, and supplement the bows, so as to overhang the frame-braces between the upper ends of the latter, and thus strengthen each brace and each bow.

The frame-braces are formed of separate single strips 9, each strip having its lower end formed with a return-bend, i, by which they are secured together by clasps a in series at their bent ends. This frame of braces is then secured at three points, at, to the suspending base strip 7 making a strong and durable spring-frame well adapted to hold the coils in their proper relation, not only to each other, but to the supporting-frames.

By making the braces separate and uniting 2. The combination, in a bust1e,of the braceframes formed of the pieces of tape-Wire 9, having bent ends, the suspendingback strips, h, and the bows a, With the overhanging tubular spring-coils A, attached to the braceframes, and an attaching-band, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence oftwo subscribing 25 Witnesses. j

AUGUSTUS H. BRINKMANN.

\Vitnesses: I

WM. T. HALL, J AMES HENRY SCOTT. 

